Written by

Julie Schmit
| USA Today

Home prices rose 4.3 percent the 12 months ended in October, according to a widely watched survey, outpacing analyst expectations and underscoring a strengthening housing recovery.

Still, the Standard & Poor's Case-Shiller index of 20 major cities dipped 0.1 percent in October from a month earlier. That was expected given that home prices tend to be lower in fall and winter than in spring and summer.

Year-over-year trends are more meaningful. In 19 of the 20 cities surveyed, annual returns in October were higher than September, the data show. ...